Before the Meeting:
I learned much the hard way from my interactions with German businesses over the years. I’d like to share some surprising advice with you – things I consider as ESSENTIAL for interacting and negotiating with Germans… Read More
Month: February 2016
Have you ever had trouble communicating with someone who doesn’t speak your language well? When traveling or doing business abroad, some miscommunication is inevitable! These challenges can easily become hurdles or barriers to successful communication, but there are several techniques that you can use to overcome potential problems. The following techniques can help you in almost any situation:
1. ASK: Ask important questions in two different ways by varying the words and sentence structure. If you get a different response to each question, that’s a red flag waving. You haven’t communicated clearly, so try again!
2. ECHO: After making your point, ask the other party to state what he or she thinks you said. If this is different from what you intended, you’ll know there’s a problem. This helpful strategy also works when communicating with someone who speaks your language!
Communicating effectively is tricky business, especially when you’ve got to overcome language or cultural differences. Using these tips can help you minimize the difficulty so that you create a positive experience, foster understanding and make a good impression as you communicate with speakers of other languages.
3. CLARIFY: Sometimes people say “yes,” okay,” or nod their head to indicate that they hear you. This does not necessarily mean that they agree, or that they are giving you an affirmative answer. They may not understand what you are saying, or simply don’t know any other words to use. So be sure to clarify what the nod means rather than assuming it signals acceptance and agreement.
4. MONITOR: Body language can play a significant role in the communication process. This includes everything from the distance between you to micro-expressions that may be too minimal or brief to assess well. People from many cultures will not give a direct “no,” but will instead use more subtle ways to communicate disinterest. That means it’s important to monitor body language signals and use additional strategies to be sure you’re getting the right message if it’s at all unclear.
5. CONFIRM: If this is a business discussion, confirm everything in writing after the discussion. This technique is simple, but amazingly effective in preventing problems. If there is a problem, the written follow-up will uncover miscommunications before they create serious issues.
Have you been in those countries where time just seems to move at a much slower pace? Well, it really doesn’t. Time is the same for all of us – there are only ever 24 hours in a day. But, people PERCEIVE those hours in vastly different ways in different cultures.
Cultural experts tend to agree that countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, and India (among many others) tend to have a more casual view of time than other countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and the USA.
What does that mean?
Time is not something that needs to be measured precisely. Time is yours to spend in doing what is important to you; don’t rush it all away. Enjoy the time that you have – and spend it doing what you love, with those you want to be with! Those cultures with a loose reckoning of time place the value of human relationships above that of the commodity of time.
How does that impact my trade show experience?
- Expect little punctuality – and establish early deadlines for completion.
- Go in with a more relaxed attitude and focus more on the relationships than on the specific business at hand.
- Understand that locals may sometimes feel offended when appointments are cut short, due to the keeping of what is viewed as an arbitrary schedule.
- Hold loose schedules for meetings, work and public transportation trips.
- Try to view time as plentiful (but only after your exhibit is finished!).
- Use time to invest in relationships.
- See business dealings as more relational than transactional.
Here are more TIPS for working with those cultures with a loose reckoning of time.
